MANY clubs will be grateful the season is ending as hard grounds took their toll on Saturday. But Sunderland will have to find an alternative venue for their home play-off against York for promotion to North Two East as Ashbrooke is required for cricket.

Its sparsely-grassed surface was not to Stockton's liking as they suffered five injuries in a 39-10 defeat and after losing all three front row men most of the second half was played with uncontested scrums.

Fly half Jeremy Good scored all Stockton's points, but the game was lost in a 20-minute spell either side of half-time in which Sunderland went from 6-3 to 34-3 ahead.

They finish second in D and N One to Gateshead, who won 30-10 at home to the other promotion hopefuls, Northern. Consett were relegated when they lost 20-11 at home to Ponteland, while Gosforth won 63-7 at home to bottom club North Shields.

In Yorkshire One, York survived a fright at home to Wheatley Hills in a game which doubled up as a Yorkshire Shield semi-final. The visitors took an early 10-0 lead and led 25-17 at half-time, but York won 32-25.

Durham City romped to a 60-0 home win against Rochdale to preserve North Two East status at the expense of Horden, whose 25-20 victory against Old Crossleyans was in vain.

Nick Howe and Richard Knowles led the way with two each as City scored eight tries, with James Walker converting seven and taking his tally to 25 with a try, a penalty and a drop goal.

Middlesbrough made it 21 wins from 22 games by signing off with a 53-12 victory at home to Morpeth and will go back into North One under the captaincy of centre Dave Richardson.

Lock Iain Bradford scored in his last match as skipper, his try from a forward drive giving Boro a 17-12 lead after an even first half.

Young centre Paul Norris scored the first try and winger Ross McNeill finished a well-worked move, but it was in the second half that Boro cut loose.

Scrum half Peter Wright and Richardson both raced over from their own half and there were second tries for Wright and McNeill before replacement prop Ben Horton also grabbed a late brace.

Blaydon won the Durham Second Teams Cup with by beating Durham University 33-27 at Bishop Auckland and the same clubs meet in the third teams' final at Darlington next Saturday.

Newcastle Falcons fly half Rob Miller kicked three penalties and two conversions as England finished the Under 18s Six Nations Festival in Glasgow with a 23-12 win against Ireland.